Periscope azimuth-indicator.



E. A. SPERRY. PERISCOPE AZIMUTH INDICATOR.

Q. X By W MMXZZTORNEY I INVENTOR 5% .f f v E 9 1 8 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEIIIIII I APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, I914.

E. A. SPERRY.

PERISCOPE AZIIVIUTH INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21. I914.

Patented Oct. 31,- 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- 'aQIK 5% @l/YIENTOR.

WITNESSES." 70476;

- STATES; oFFIcE.

ELMEB A. SPERBY, OF BROOKLYN,.NEW YORK, ASSIGIQ' OR TO THE SPERBY'GYROSCOPE 'COMPANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

rnnrsoorr. AZIMUTH-INDICATOB.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER A. SPERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Imp'rovementsin Periscope Azimuth- Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sighting instruments employed on ships to determine the bearings of distant objects, both'with respectto the ships course and the meridian. Such mstruments assume the form of both rotatably mounted telescopes and periscopes, the latter being employed chiefly on submarines. One object of the invention is to improve the construction of these instruments by mounting the indicating dials so as to be visible through theeye-piece of the instrument.

Another object is to so construct the dials that they may be mounted directly on the instrument, so that a separate base is not required and so that adjustments of the 1instrument will not throw the dials out of the range of vision.

'A third object'is to improve'the construction of the instruments so that frosting of the glass parts is prevented.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

Referring to the drawings, inwhich several of the many forms which my inventionv may assume are illustrated: Figure 1 is a sectional view of the lower portion of a periscope which has been improved according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a representation of the view seen through the eye-piece of the periscope. Fig. 2 is a detail. F ig., 3 is a section of the upper portion of a Periscope,-

s'howlng my improved form of lens. Fig. 4

is an elevation, partly in section, of a periscope improved by a modified form of my invention. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailed section of the commutating means shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 isa section of the form of repeater compass shown inFig. 4, showing 2., theihechahism employed. Fig. 7 is a bottom 'lan view of the same mechanism. Fig. 8 is 1 :a detailed sectional view of a synchronizing handle. Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view of erring first to the modification shown;

'tlie' top ofa compass, showingm-y novel deyice-for preventing frosting of the glass. v

are -10 is a detail. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

in Figs. 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 indipates some form of meridian or azimuth indicator. The form which is-best adapted to my purposes is a repeater compass of the type employed in conjunction. with a master compass of the gyroscopic type. This repeater is mounted directly on the sighting instrument 2, which is shown as a periscope I Patented Oct. 31, 191 4 Application filed May 21,1914. Serial No. 839,352. l L

on the drawings, by being suspended from it by brackets 3.

The main periscope 2 is;

shown as rotatably mounted in the frame 4. l It is made up in a number of sections/as u shown in order to secure proper-adjustments f Not being a' part of this invention, a detailed description of these parts is not considered necessary. The objective is shown at 5 (Fig. 3). Light, on entering the objective, is reflected downwardly by prism-6, and passes through a chromatic lens 7, and is finally reflected into the eye-piece 8 by prism 9. An arrangement of light reflecting prisms is provided to throw the light from the scales on the compass into the eye-piece conjointly with the light from the objective. A series of prisms 10, 11, 12 are shown by means of which the li ht rays from the scales 20 and 21 are re ected into prism 9 and from thence into the eye-piece. Prisms .10 andll are supported on removable plates secured adjacent each end of a tubular member 14 on theend of the periscope. Prism 12 is pivotally mounted on the tube 14: so that it may be swung out of the range of vision by handle 15 if desired. The edge 16 of the slot in tube 14 may be utilized to furnish a stop to hold the prism 12 in the correct position. The scales 20- and 21 are made transparent, are powerfully illuminated from below by lamps 17, and are cov- 'ered on top by plate 18. A dimmer may be provided for the lamps so that the brilliancy of the scale may be adjusted to correspond to various light conditions on the outside. The

dimmer may be mounted on the base of the I compass as shown at 52. The compass may also be provided with a fixedpointer '90. Electrical energy is transmitted to the re-.

peater from a suitable source of supply and from the master compass by means of'cord 19;. One of the scales 20 and 21-is fixed on the casing, and hence becomes a lubbers scale, while the'other is actuated by the master compass. v 1 v 7 Any suitable form of gearing maybe em- 7 ployed to hold the compass fixed with respect to the lubbers line of the ship. A train of planetary gearing is illustratedon the drawings. annular casting 23, which to a ring 24 fixed upon the frame 4. Journaled upon an extension 25 of the frame. of the periscope is a shaft 25. The lower end of this shaft is supported in a bearing 51 which is formed -on an L shaped ring 30, hereinafter referred to. Adjacent the upper end of this shaft is secured avpinion 26, which meshes with the gear 22. Adjacent the lowerend of shaft 25 is secured a pinion 27, which meshes with a gear 28 upon a ring 29, which is mounted upon and supports the compass.

It is apparent that as the shaft 25 revolves with the periscope it is rotated by the stationary gear 22 so as to prevent the compass from rotatin upon its axis. In order to allow this re ative motion between the periscope and the compass, the brackets 3 are secured to the it-shaped ring 30 upon the inwardly extending portion of-which the ring 29 rests and is free to revolve, the weight of the compass being borne by the last named in turn is secured ring.

I The periscope is rotated by means of a hand wheel 31, which carries a pinion32. This pinion meshes in the stationary annulargear 33, mounted upon frame 4.

Fig. 2 shows the view that is obtained through the eyepiece of the telescope, a lighthouse 34 being shown as being directly on the crosshair 35. The compass may be provided with ventilating holes 36, if desired.

Tn Figs. 4 to 8, inclusive, a modified form of repeater compass 1' "s shown, which is secured to the sighting instrument 2, so as The construction of to, revolve therewith. the main periscope is substantially the same as shown in Fig. 1 except that shaft 25 is omitted and an electrical commutating means 36 is provided. as mounted on an extension 37 from'the periscope and comprises a frame 38 in which are revolubly mounted a pair of shafts carj and 40 and gear 41. The}; the same shaft as gear 'and rneshes with the fixed gear22. Pinion llbearing 63. It will thus be seen that means "iare provided whereby the lubbers scale is The train of rying pinions 39 piniGIi-39 is on 40 meshes with the gear 41 and 'rbtates the commutator 42. This commutator? is shown as made in three sections. Half-of the sur;

ing material 43, while the other halfiis' made face of each-section is composed. 0f. insulatof conducting material 44. The sections of insulation and conducting material are pro: v 6 gressively-placed I l vice from any source-:of-electrical energy rings 46 mounted j at 90, ahead on each secwtion. Current. is communicated tothe-de- 45 by means of conductin -=up'onipart 23, against ich rings springbrushes 47 are adapted to bear.

urrent from one of the brushes is short cir A gear 22 is secured to an shown, as it may tor 42 and from the master'compass,

This means is shown gears 66 and also with cuited to the frame 38and, passing through shafts 39, enters one or more of the brushes 48, depending upon which. brush is then bearing upon the conducting portion of the commutator. The wire '49 from the source of power is carried-directly down through I 19 from the master compass may be directly connected to the repeater as shown, since the angle through which the periscope revolves need not be over 180?. Tn this form also a less number of lamps 17 and asmaller dimmer 52 may be used, since it is only necessary to illuminate the scale directly under the tube 14, as the case of the repeater is held fixed on theperiscope. The brackets 3 are directly attached to a fixed part 53 of the repeater.

The repeater is necessarily of a different design from that usually employed, which is the kind used in the first modification dethe cable 50 to the compass. Wires 51 lead scribed. T have shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 my preferred construction of mechanism. In these figures the top cover 18 is not be removed if it is desired to use the repeater for other purposes. Nu-

.merals 54 and 55 denote a pair of step-bystep motors adapted to be actuated by elec-- trical means transmitted from the COIHIHEIW;

no shown), respectively. These motors are mounted on a platform 56, and carry pin.- ions 54' and 55' on their shafts. Motor 54 drives the gear wheel 57 on which is secured pinion 58. This pinion drives the large gear '59 through an idler 60. The sleeve 61 is secured to ear 59 and carries the graduated disk '62, w ich hence becomes the lubbers scale; Sleeve 61 is shownas mounted in the rotated directly by motor 54.

62 is turned backward as fast as the per1- scope is turned forward. In order that the motions of motors 54 and 55 may be properl' 64, 1 prefer to employ which is shown as type. Secured to gear 57 is asmaller gear .65 which meshes with one palr 66 of two pairs of planetary gears. is mounted somewhat lower and meshes with gear 68, Whih 1s differential gearing,

being of the spur gear 1 combined to actuate the compass card The other pair 67 baa loosely mounted on shaft 69. Gear 68 car-' ries pinion 70, which drives the large gear wheel 71. The gears 66 and 67 are rotatably mounted on the face of a gear 72 by means of theextensions 73 and 74. K, Gear 72 is drivenby pinion 55' on the shaft of motor 55. The gear wheel 71 is secured to shaft 75 which extends freely through sleeve 61 and carries the compass card 64. It may here be noted that, even in the general type of apparatus shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, that is where the indicator is fixed so as to revolve with the periscope, other means may be employed connecting the Periscope and the lubbers scale and compounded with the motion of the compass-repeater motor, than the electrical means shown in these figures. v

In order that the two cards may be set properly, or synchronized with the controlling elements, in case they should for any reason fall out of step, synchronizing handles 76 are provided. These handles and the gears which they drive are omitted from Fig. 6 for the sake of'clearness, but are shown in Figs. 7 8 and 10. Each of these handles oarries'a crowned pinion (77 and 77'.) These pinions 77 and 77 are not inthe same horizontal plane and are normally held out 'of mesh with the gear 78 and a corresponding gear 7 8, respectively, directly above gear 78, by springs 79. Removable caps '80 are provided to protect the handles. Gear-78 carries a gear 81 which meshes with v gear 72, through which it drives card 64.

The gear'directly above gear '78, which is indicated by'78 (see Fig. 10), carries a gear 81 similar to gear 81, which meshes with gear 57, through which it drives. card 62.

40 When it is desired to set card 64, for in stance the operator-simply presses handle 76 in and rotates it until the card assumes the correct position.

It is evident that the repeater compass v M above described andillustratedinFigs. 7

and 8 is capable of other uses than the one which isfshown in Fig. 4, since with slight modifications it can be made use of in many difi'erent ways. For instance, it may be 10- 9 cated at a distance from the sighting teler scope and fixed: i'nap'redetermined position and thusibecome'a-plotting indicator.

If this is "done, it is apparent, that the only change necessary is to transpose the elec--.. f{ 5 tri'ca connections so. that the master com-. passe actuates motor 54, while the trans; mitter .on the; telescope .actuates motor 55. Card 62 then becomes the. compass card and card 64 the scale 'whichindicates, in 6 connection withjpointer 910, the angle the telescope is making-with the lubbers line of the ship or, in short, thelubbefls scale.

my invention the indicatoris supported by; the periscope,.thereby securing the advanmolded therein.

tage that it remains in the correct position irrespective of the vertical adjustments of the periscope. In this form of telescope, as 1n others, the length isadjusted to obtain a clear image, which results in the raising and lowering of the eye-piece.

perienced in keeping the glass cover 82 free from mist or frost, since the lamps and motors keep the inside of the repeater warm, while the cover is cooled by contact with the outside air. I avoid this difiiculty by providing a plurality of panes of glass 83and 84, which are spaced by a small insulating Also the perichamber 85. The panes are mounted in a rubber ring 86, which is provided with ridges 87 at its periphery and an intermediate ridge 88-, which serves to spa e the panes 83 and84. This arrangement, While complete in itself, may be supplemented by the use of a wire 89 coiled in the space 85, which is adapted to be heatedelectrically so that the pane 84 ay be kept warm, or may be warmed up t evaporate any mist that may have formed on it. This device may be made use of in any sort of window where troublesome frosting occurs. For instance, I have shown a modified form of'my device on the objective of the periscope in, Fig. 3.

In this form the glass is-made with small holes near the inner surface, and a wire 89,

corresponding to wire 89, is threaded .or

In accordance with the provisions of the patent, statutes, I have herein described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the a paratus shown is only illustrative and t at the invention can' becarried out by other means. Also, while it is designed to use the various features and elements in the combination and relations described, some of these may be altered and others omitted without interfering with the more general results outlined, and the in-- vention extends to such use. 1 Having described my mventlon, what I claim and desire to secure'by Letters Patent 1s: c I r "1'. Apparatus for taking bearings, comprising a rotatably'supported sighting in-; f strument, a lubbers scale rotatably supported It should be notedthat'iin both forms of by said sighting instrument and automatic means connecting said instrumentandscale,

" whereby the. scale always. indicates the true frame, a periscope supported in a vertical position by said frame and two scales supported by said eriscope and mounted so as to be simultaneously visible through the eyepiece of the periscope, and automatic means connecting said p'eriscopeand scales, where by one of said scales is held on the true lubbers line and the other of said scales fixed in azimuth.

[an apparatus for taking bearings from a submarine, comprising a vertical bearing, a periscope rotatably mounted in said bearin'g, said periscope having a horizontally disposed eye-piece adjacent its lower end and a reflecting prism whereby the light coming down the periscope is reflected into the eyepiece, an azimuth indicator provided with a lubbers scale rotatably supported by said periscope, and a secondary prism located in said periscope whereby light from a predetermined portion of the indicator'is reflected into the eye-piece of the periscope.

5. in periscopic apparatus, an instrument adapted to be attached to the periscope so as to revolve therewith, comprising a lubbers scale, automatic means connecting said a scale and the peris'cope whereby said scale maintains a fixed relation to the lubbers line of the .ship, a repeater compass card, and means to hold said card in fixed relation to the meridian comprising a repeater motor actuated from the master compass and compensating connections between said motor and said first mentioned means;

. 6; An apparatus for taking bearings, the

. combination with a rotatably supported sighting instrument, of a repeater compass fixed to said instrument, comprisin'g'a repeater motor adapted to be actuatedfrom a master compass, a compass card, differenmotor a'nd said card, and means actuated by the rotation of said sighting instrument also connected to said differential gearing,

whereby the card is held, in fixed relation to the meridian.

7. An apparatus for taking bearings comprising a rotatably supported sighting lubbers scale rotatably sup-' instrument, a ported by said sighting instrumenaan electrical "commutating means actuated by the rotation of said, sighting instrument, an

actuating scale, sal

instrument, a lubbers' scale rotatably supported by said sighting instrumena'an electrlcal commutating meansactuated by the rotation of said sighting instrument, an

actuating motor connected to said lubbers scale, said motor being controlled by said actuating means, whereby the scale always indicates the true lubbers line, said scale and sighting instrument being so arranged that the scale is visible piece of the instrument. 4

9. An apparatus for taking bearings, comprising a rotatably supported sighting instrument, an electrical commutating means actuated by the rotation of said instruthrough the eye ment, a repeater compass fixed to said instrument, a pair of actuating motors connected to said compass, one of said motors being controlled by said commutating means and the other of said motors being actuated by the movements of the master compass, and difierential gearing mounted between said motors and the repeater card, whereby the card is held in fixed relation to the true meridian.

l0. sighting instrument comprising a rotatably supported telescope, an electrical c'ommutating means actuated by the rotation of said telescope, a plurality of indicating cards and a lurality of step-by-step motors, one of said motors being actuated through said commutating means and being geared to one of said cards directly, another of said motors being actuated by the master compass, and difierential gearing mounted between said motors and another of said cards, whereby one of-said cards indicates the position of the instrument with respect to the ship, while another shows the position of the instrument in azimuth.

- 11. A nautical instrument for the determination of the true and apparent bearings of a distant object and adapted to be used in conjunction with a master repeating compass, comprising. a rotatably supported sighting telescope, an electrical commutating means actuated by the rotation of said telescope, and a plurality of indicating cards, one of said cards being controlled directly by said commutating means and another of 'said' cards being controlled conjointly by Said commutating means and said master compass, whereby the bearings of the object observed are shown'both with respect to the meridian and to the lubbers line of the ship. v

12.- Av nautical instrument for the determination of the true and apparent bearings of means actuated by the rotation of said telescope, and a plurality of indicating cards,

one of said cards being controlled directly by said commutating'means and another ofsaid cards being controlled. conjointly by said commutating means and said master compass, both of said cards being arranged so as to be visible when sighting through the telescope, whereby the bearings of the object observed are shown with respect to the meridian and to the lubbers line of the ship.

13. A sighting instrument comprising a rotatably supported telescope, an electrical commutating means actuated by the rotation of said telescope, a plurality of indicating cards and a plurality of step by-step motors, one of said motors being actuated through said commutating means and being geared to one of said cards directly, another of said motors be ng actuated by the master compass, and differential gearing mounted between said motors and another of said cards, both of said cards being arranged so as to be visible when sighting through the. telescope, whereby one of said cards indicates the position of the instrument with re-. spect to the ship, while another shows the position of the instrument in azimuth.

14. An instrument adapted to be used in conjunction with sighting instruments, comprising a compass card and a lubbers scale,

a differential gear tram, a motor directly connected to said lubbers scale and also connected to one arm of said differential gear train, a second motor connected to another arm .of said train, the third arm of mg train being connected to said compass car 15. An instrument adapted to be used in conjunction with sighting instruments, comprising a plurality of revoluble indicating means, a difl'erential gear train, a transmitter motor directly connected to one of said indicating means and also connected to one arm of said train, second transmitter motor connected to another arm of said train, the third arm of said train being connected to another of said indicating means.

16. An apparatus for taking bearings, comprising a rotatably supported sighting instrument, a lubbers scale rotatably supported by said sighting instrument, an electrical commutatinfl, mean-s actuated by the rotation of said sighting instrument, an actuating motor connected to said lubbers scale, said motor being controlled by said commutating means, whereby the scale always indicates the true angle which the sighting instrument makes with the lubbers line of the ship.

17. An apparatus for taking bearings, comprising a rotatably supported sighting instrument, an electrical commutating means actuated by the rotation of said instrument,

a repeater compass fixed to said instrument, a pair of actuating motors connected to said compass, one of said motors being controlled by said commutating means and the other of said motors being actuated by the movements of the master compass, and means interconnecting said motors and the compass card whereby their motions are combined to hold the card in fixed relation to the meridian.

18. A repeater compass and indicator comprising a compass card and a lubbers scale, a differential gear train, a motor directly connected'to said lubbers scale and also connected to one arm of said difi'eren tial gear train, a second motor connected to another arm of said train, the third arm of said train being connected to said compass card, and a hand synchronizing means adaptedto set each of the indicating means independently of the action of the motors;

I In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELMER A. SPERRY, 

